Thay
Thay is a populous nation ruled by the eight Zulkirs of the dreaded Red Wizards, located in East Faerûn. Geographic Overview The country of Thay, once a large portion of the Mulhorandi Empire, extends from the borders of Thesk and Aglarond in the west to the Sunrise Mountains in the east. It stretches nearly 500 miles from north to south and 450 miles from east to west. Rashemen is directly to the north, across Lake Mulsantir, while the Alamber Sea and Mulhorand form Thay’s southern edge. Most of Thay consists of a great plateau almost 350 miles across. These arid tablelands are about 2,000 feet above sea level at the outer edges and slope up to an elevation of about 4,000 feet in the vicinity of Lake Thaylambar and the foothills of the Sunrise Mountains. The plateau’s southern, western, and northern borders are a band of broken cliffs and rugged canyons known as the First Escarpment. While few of these cliffs are more than a couple of hundred feet in height, the Escarpment rises on a dozen or so such precipices in the space of ten or fifteen miles, like the tiers of a wedding cake. A small party on foot can pick their way up the Escarpment over a day or two of difficult paths and short scrambles, but an army of any size is limited to a small number of passes and roads, which the Thayans guard well. Atop the Plateau of Thay, the land consists of broad, rolling vistas broken by low mesas and chains of jagged rocks. Within its bounds rises the Ruthammar Plateau, a second, smaller plateau roughly 150 miles in diameter, which is more often referred to as the Thaymount (its most prominent feature) or High Thay. The Second Escarpment, a chain of cliffs and gorges even more forbidding than the First Escarpment, bounds High Thay. It averages almost 6,000 feet in elevation and is noticeably colder and more arid than the tablelands below. At the center of High Thay stand the volcanic peaks of the Thaymount, in actuality a hundred-mile chain of fang-like ridges and smoldering cinder cones whose highest point is more than 17,000 feet high. In the youth of the world, basalt flows from these now-slumbering giants formed the mighty plateaus of Thay. While a number of people live in High Thay, few settlements stand close to the peaks of the Thaymount—minor eruptions are common, creating ash falls and clouds of sulfurous fumes that drift northeast, rendering a large area of the plateau virtually uninhabitable. At the eastern edge of the country, amid the foothills of the Sunrise Mountains, rises a third series of cliffs—the Surague Escarpment. This forms a shelf atop the First Escarpment, and like the plateau of High Thay, averages about 6,000 feet in elevation. Numerous streams spill down from the heights of the Sunrise Mountains, creating a tangled maze of gorges and canyon lands in this corner of the country. Just east of High Thay, near the eastern foot of the Second Escarpment, lies Lake Thaylambar. Fed by the River Surag, born of the snow melts of the Sunrise Mountains, this deep, cold body of water is nearly eighty miles across. Its outlet is the River Thay, which flows north to Lake Mulsantir near the Surmarsh. The Sunrise Mountains also give rise to two other great rivers—the River Thazarim in the south and the Gauros in the north. The soot-covered glaciers of the Thaymount feed two more great rivers—the River Umber, which flows west to Aglarond and the Sea of Dlurg, and the River Lapendrar, with flows southwest through the Priador to meet the Wizards’ Reach at Escalant. Thay is a naturally warm, dry land whose lofty elevation prevents the moisture-laden winds from the Sea of Fallen Stars from bringing much precipitation to the interior. Never ones to be satisfied with their lot, the Red Wizards have created a network of spells that maintains pleasant weather conditions all year round. This plays havoc with the weather in Thesk, but the Thayans do not concern themselves with the difficulties of their neighbors. The days are warm but not unpleasantly so. The plains are regularly soaked with rains, but only in the dead of night. Just about every day in Thay is a fine one, in stark contrast to the miserable lives most people lead here. The weather spells ensure fine growing conditions for vast croplands, worked by the uncounted thousands of slaves upon whom the Thayan economy depends. Major Geographic Features Thay is blessed with many special natural features, from the glaciers and volcanoes of the Thaymount to the beaches of Bezantur. Those traveling along one of the few main roads are treated to breathtaking views as they mount first one escarpment and then another. The distant snow-covered peaks of the Thaymount seem to watch over it all like sleeping kings, a landmark visible from almost any spot in the country. Most travelers enter Thay through one of five major routes. In the north, those following the Golden Way come first to the port city of Surthay on the southern shore of Lake Mulsantir. Traditionally, travelers ride or walk the Long Portage from Surthay up to the top of the Plateau of Thay. The River Thay is one of the great highways of the land, and slave-pulled barges ferry goods and passengers from the First Escarpment to Lake Thaylambar. Once on the lake, it’s an easy voyage to Eltabbar, the capital city, located on the southwestern shore. In the southeast, travelers forge their way up the River Thazarim to the First Escarpment. An old Mulhorandi road leads through the gorge of the Thazarim and meets a track bound for Pyarados. From there, one can either take the path along the Sunrise Mountains to Lake Thaylambar, or go by the well-maintained Eastern Way to Tyraturos, then north along the High Road to Eltabbar. Few people enter Thay by this route, as the tharch of Thazalhar is a desolate and forbidding land, plagued by restless undead and hungry monsters from the mountains. Most people bound for Thay put in at the great port of Bezantur, one of the largest cities along the Sea of Fallen Stars. The High Road leads straight north through Tyraturos to Eltabbar. The Thayans expect visitors to enter by this route, so inns and taverns catering to foreigners are common along the High Road—as are spies and agents of the Red Wizards, who keep a close eye on folk of other lands. In the past, armies seeking to invade Thay have come by way of the River Lapendrar. The Lapendrar itself is not navigable past the First Escarpment, as a waterfall tumbles over the edge of the Plateau of Thay, preventing passage. However, the gorge of the River of Sorrows is one of the broadest and most gentle ascents of the First Escarpment, at least for travelers on foot. When Halacar of Aglarond led his ill-advised expedition into Thay a century ago, this was the route he chose. Lastly, some prefer to sail up the River Umber to Nethjet, located on the eastern side of Lake Umber. From here, one can follow the Eastern Way until it meets up with the High Road at Tyraturos, then head north to Eltabbar. Monsters haunting the passage through the Dragonjaw Mountains make this route somewhat dangerous, and the Nethjet end of the Eastern Way is poorly maintained, a magnet for gnoll brigands and similar undesirables. Folk from northerly lands along the Inner Sea find this a faster but more dangerous route than the long walk up the Golden Way to Mulsantir and Surthay. In addition to the natural defenses of Thay, a number of small citadels sprinkle the slopes of both the First and Second Escarpments. These well-built stone structures ostensibly keep out enemies, but in truth, they are home to patrols of humans and gnolls who spend more of their time keeping Thayan slaves in. Most roads on the Plateau itself (especially the Eastern Way and the High Road) are impeccably maintained. Raised a few feet above the surrounding land, they are covered with an alchemical tarmac for durability and ease of use. Work crews constantly repair the roads, keeping them in near-perfect shape. Small fortresses known as tax stations line the roads and appear at all other points of entry into Thay. Economy The nation relies heavily on slavery, a practice heavily frowned upon by nations throughout the north and northwestern Faerûn. In Thay itself the Zulkirs and other prominent Red Wizards grow rich beyond imagination from this sinister trade. From their strongholds and estates, they use this wealth to constantly scheme and plot the mercantile and military domination of their neighbor nations. Magic *The Weather net Slavery Slavery is a common branch of trade in Thay. Slave markets are restocked with war prisoners, conquered Rashemi or people that are sold into slavery. While folk of Mulan descent remove all body hair (at least on the head) and Rashemi freemen at least clip their hair short, slaves are not allowed to cut their hair at all. They can be easily distinguished by the heavy and filthy mass of hair they wear. Ruling system The eight Zulkirs are the most powerful wizards in the nation in each school of magic, with the strongest being the lich Szass Tam in the school of necromancy. Tharchions, civil governors of the realm, rule over the various tharchs, or regions of Thay. Tharchs These are the eleven regions of Thay, each ruled by a seperate tharchion. *Alaor - ruled by Tharchion Thessaloni Canos *Delhumide- ruled by Tharchion Invarri Metron *Eltabbar - ruled by Tharchion Dmitra Flass, also made Zulkir of Illusion somewhere between 1375 DR and 1385 DR *Gauros - ruled by Tharchion Azhir Kren *Lapendrar - tharchion's position vacant since Hezass Nymar died in 1385 DR affected by the Spellplague *Priador - tharchion's position vacant since Aznar Thrul was murdered in 1375 DR *Pyarados - ruled by Tharchion Nymia Focar *Surthay - ruled by Tharchion Homen Odesseiron *Thaymount - ruled by Tharchion Pyras Autorian *Thazalhar - tharchion's position vacant since Milsantos Daramos died in 1382 DR of old age. *Tyraturos(tharch) - ruled by Tharchion Dimon, also priest of Bane Religion Thayans are known for a relative irreverence toward the gods; whereas much of Faerun is devout, with many clerics who put their gods first, Thay has many people for whom the gods are definitely second, even third. That's not to say that Thayans are stupid or suicidal. Since the gods are very real, very powerful, and very harsh to atheists, Thayans have patron deities like most other inhabitants of Toril. They are more likely to weigh the costs and benefits of patronage in a calculating fashion, choosing gods that fall in line with their plans and offer interesting afterlives. They raise churches and make donations, but as much for personal glory as glorification of the gods. Services are attended sporadically, lip service paid in prayers. Holy days offer opportunities to display wealth and power, so why not celebrate? The general attitude in Thay is this: the gods are bigger than you, so don't tweak their noses. A strange kind of religious freedom reigns in Thay, not because individual choices are respected but because Thayans know their history. The ancient Imaskari empire fell because they kept slaves from communing with their gods, and the Thayans are not about to make the same sort of mistake. Thus, people are not magically influenced to change alignment or forced to choose particular patron deities, even if powerful masters don't approve. Slaves are not forbidden the worship of their deities but their worship is regulated. Slaves cannot raise temples or gather in groups larger than 10, but they are allowed shrines and private prayer. They are not given time off for individual holy days but once their chores are done, they can choose to spend time in worship. Four of the major seasonal festivals in Faerun (Greengrass, Midsummer, Highharvestide, and the Feast of the Moon) are granted as rest days for all slaves, despite the grumblings this causes in the upper classes. It must be noted that Thay is a place of religious turmoil for slaves, in that their harsh treatment can cause them to reconsider the gods they serve. While some slaves never question their deity's power and some even experience a renewed faith, many slaves find their gods' promises to be hollow. What does Chauntea's bounty matter when the masters won't allow any more than the barest ration? Light and love wither for the thousands of slaves doing the hardest, dirtiest labor in Thay, far away from any hope of rescue. Some slaves turn to deities of bitterness like Beshaba and Shar; others turn to Loviatar and torment other slaves. In select areas, citizens worship Malar and slaves sometimes follow in the hopes of gaining favor. Malar's clergy offer one of few ways for slaves to earn their freedom. Bezantur has the greatest amount of religious diversity of any place in Thay because it caters to citizens, slaves, and visitors to the port. In Bezantur, major evil temples are an open secret, barely hidden to avoid scaring foreigners. The various regions of Thay have different deities in fashion, and the interior of the country openly worships evil deities that are underground elsewhere. Eltabbar is known as the religious heart of Thay, with some of the grandest temples in the country. Eltabbar is also the closest major city to the symbol of Kossuth's worship in the country - the volcanoes of the Thaymount. Kossuth is generally popular throughout Thay, as are Bane, Shar, and Waukeen. The only gods whose worship is suppressed are the Mulhorandi pantheon, Mystra, and Velsharoon, mainly for historical reasons. Although she is the goddess of magic, Thayans have no love for the current holder of Mystra's portfolio and would rather worship Azuth, if they must choose a "god of magic" at all; at least he's wielded magic for a long time. Below is the religious calendar of Thay. The worship of many deities is associated with Thayan citizens, while good deities are associated with the slave population. Major holidays are the only times that some Thayans go to church and great displays of power and wealth are not unknown. Slave uprisings sometimes happen on or near holy days, as well. Day / Dates Details Deity Worshippers Midsummer Revels of destruction and rudeness Beshaba Thayans Shieldmeet Revels of destruction and rudeness Beshaba Thayans Each Midwinter night Unveiling, sacrifices Gargauth Thayans Eve of the Feast of the Moon Personal sacrifices made by clerics as they renew their contracts Gargauth Thayans Twelve days after Greengrass Called Ippensheir, time of revelry and showing inventions Gond Any 11 Eleint Penultimate Thunder, feasts Hoar Slaves 11Marpenoth Impending Doom, daylong ceremonies with drums, oaths, purification Hoar Slaves Last night of the year Night of Another Year, reading of the names of the dead from the year, then rest Jergal Thayans Shieldmeet Clerics recount deeds of the dead Kelemvor Slaves Feast of the Moon Clerics recount deeds of the dead Kelemvor Slaves Midsummer morn Clerics perform Song of Dawn Lathander Slaves Morns of vernal and autumn equinoxes Clerics perform Song of Dawn Lathander Slaves Highharvestide Hunt before, invite even non-worshippers to feast, pledge to provide for the needy in winter Malar Thayans High Hunt each season Hunt a humanoid or slave who can win freedom by surviving a day and night Malar Thayans 15 Marpenoth Ascension of current Mystra Mystra Slaves Midsummer Day of new pacts Oghma Thayans Shieldmeet Day of new pacts Oghma Thayans Each Midwinter day Retreat, clergy assemble to recount campaigns Red Knight Thayans 1 Tarsakh Queen's Gambit, feasting and games Red Knight Thayans 25 Nightal A celebration of dark side of wealth and pleasure Samora Thayans Shieldmeet Conjuring of the Second Moon, chant that summons female planetars to serve clergy for a night Selune Slaves Mystery of the Night Once a year, each cleric fly into air to commune with Selune Selune Slaves Festival of the Moon Rising of the Dark, service over a live sacrifice Shar Thayans 15 Tarsakh Windride, clerics assume gaseous form or wind walk, set down in someplace new Shaundakul Slaves Greengrass Frolicking Sune Slaves Midsummer Frolicking Sune Slaves Grand Revel Once a month, gathering for dancing, music, poetry Sune Slaves Every 12 days Festivals to offer prayers, drums, chants Talona Thayans Fast of the Moon Honoring the dead Tempus Thayans Once a tenday Must shed blood Tempus Thayans 15 Hammer Cold Counting Comfort, honors accounting Waukeen Thayans 20 Aluturiak Great Weave, honors textiles Waukeen Thayans 30 Ches High Coin, honors wealth Waukeen Thayans 10 Tarsakh Spheres, honors generosity Waukeen Thayans 12 Mirtul Sammardach, honors benefactors Waukeen Thayans 21 Kythorn Brightbuckle, honors finery Waukeen Thayans 3-5 Flamerule Sornyn, honors deal-making Waukeen Thayans 17 Eleasis Huldark, honors bounty Waukeen Thayans 7 Eleint Spryndalstar, honors magic Waukeen Thayans 1 Marpenoth Marthoon, honors guards Waukeen Thayans 10 Uktar Tehennteahan, honors crafts Waukeen Thayans 25 Nightal Orbar, "a solemn remembrance" of the dark side of wealth Waukeen Thayans Noble Houses Thay has a strict and nuanced hierarchy of castes, with nobles at the highest levels of influence. The vast majority of Red Wizards and higher level Thayan clerics come from noble backgrounds, and most of Thay's governors and enclave leaders do, as well. Thayan nobles of Mulan blood are officially allowed to breed with other Mulan, outsiders, and some other races of interest (such as the Yuan-ti). As Thayan enclaves have become fixtures in far-away cities, a number of Thayans have arranged sanctioned marriages with local nobles. With each new marriage, and sometimes with individual births, nobles pledge their children to one house. Thayan noble houses that do not have a main family business or pursuit tend to splinter, as different family members try to steer the house in too many directions. Some of the current houses split off from each other, such as the vicious battles that split House Malaerach into House Malaergost and House Onolath. While some noble houses are in direct competition due to their interests, other houses compete simply to be the most prestigious. Family lands are highly prized, as as notable magical items. Many commoners and slaves are attached to noble estates and feud with the servants of rival houses. Thay's oldest families are inevitably tied to the nobles of Mulhorhand, although some changed their names when Thay broke free from the god-kings. A few point to their family ties in Unther, Murghom, and Semphar. Every now and again, someone tries to trace their lineage all the way back to the Great Artificers of Imaskar, but such attempts are always hotly debated. Below are the 90 current noble houses of Thay and their major area(s) of interest, as of the 1375 Census in Eltabbar. Family Name Trade & Interests Zolphas Alchemical items Csittanko Antiques (nonmagical) Mediocros Arcane magic (abjuration) Odesseiron Arcane magic (conjuration) Savrian Arcane magic (divination) Ashmeddai Arcane magic (enchantment) Thrul Arcane magic (evocation) Hunosel Arcane magic (illusion) Tam Arcane magic (necromancy) Rhym Arcane magic (transmutation) Aporos Architecture (homes) Hashtur Architecture (public) Dagrun Armor (heavy) Besklen Armor (light) Halphas Armor (medium) Gios Art Xemelenos Bookbinding & restoration (spellbooks, scrolls, etc.) Celski Calligraphy & tattoos Rothos Calligraphy & tattoos Darnak Caravan trade Wenz Cooking, exotic foods, beer brewing Volkos Diplomacy Zalios Drugs Gallegos Entertainment & fashion Focar Exploration Thullos Exploration Kos Fishing Vhol Fishing Eremal Foodstuffs (fruit) Nirresh Foodstuffs (fruit) Dervich Foodstuffs (grains) Lavartya Foodstuffs (grains) Sashenka Fur trade Dal Gladitorial games Delizan Heraldry & history Gordesh Horse breeding & training Lectos Hunting & procurement (exotic beasts) Mishkov Hunting & procurement (exotic beasts) Kallos Illicit goods Yaras Jewelry (gems) Zandranto Jewelry (gems) Givlich Jewelry (gold, silver, etc.) Lasko Jewelry (gold, silver, etc.) Thal Landowning Koraz Magecraft (exotic components) Quantoul Magecraft (magical experimentation) Yonago Magecraft (research) Belos Magical arms & armor Nath Magical arms & armor Imbros Magical rings Doruzed Magical rods Vizemod Magical staffs Qarto Mercenary fighting Rhaenys Mercenary fighting Indolf Mining Shanived Mining Govannon Moneychanging Nishka Moneylending Sun Musical instruments Ilmeth Perfumes Malaergost Poisonmaking Onolath Poisonmaking Agneh Politics and leadership Autorian Politics and leadership Flass Politics and leadership Nymar Politics and leadership Szordrin Politics and leadership Lloros Potion brewing Canos Shipping, cartography, slave transport Kul Shipping, cartography, slave transport Metron Slave acquisition & training (alcohol brewing) Xeraston Slave acquisition & training (forging) Zurn Slave acquisition (enclaves) Ankara Slave acquisition (piracy) Dasselath Slave acquisition (planar) Phan Slave market Tanzirk Slave market Baleth Slave training (art) Valgon Slave training (courtesan) & acquisition Eshunir Slave training (high house) Svarog Slave training (leatherworking) Parnath Slave training (pottery) Weslir Slave training (weaving) Kren Timber Elgroth Timber Omraj Trapmaking (magical & otherwise) Vantur Weapons Embian Winemaking Gozal Winemaking Lyundra Wondrous items Navy and Seafaring Thayan vessels are named using magic-related themes such as spells, schools of magic or wizards, such as Alkammar, Black Tentacle, Enchanter or Lightning Bolt. Related prestige classes * Burning Braziers * Black Flame Zealots * Brothers and Sisters of the Pure Flame * Order of the Salamander * Red Wizard * Thayan Knight * Thayan Slaver * Thayan Gladiator History Ythazz had been part of the original uprising in Mulhorand in -1087 DR by the Theurgist Adept Thayd (put to death -1081). The nation of Thay came about when a sect, calling itself the Red Wizards, declared its freedom from the god kings of Mulhorand. The sect's center of strength was in the northern provinces where the natives did not have the inbred reverence for the god-kings. After razing the city of Delhumide they declared themselves the free nation of Thay in 922 DR. Since then Mulhorand has had to defend themselves, quite successfully, against two invasions from Thay. The current Thay was founded four centuries ago by renegade magicians of the Mulhorand Empire. These wizards, called the Red Wizards, began to found a secret society whose goal was to gain independence from the empire, and to create a kingdom of magic, without anchoring with the theocracy of the King-God of Mulhorand. In 922, under the direction of the Red Wizard (and later Zulkir) Ythazz Buvaar, felt sufficiently ready to act, and raised an army and sacked the imperial capital of Delhumide. Mulhorand responded by sending an army as colossal as it was badly directed to annihilate the rebels. The two forces clashed in the battle of Thazalhar. Although outnumbered, the Red Wizards swept the King-God's army with the assistance of a mysterious and powerful creature from another plane. Mulhorand's King-God, although defeated, continued to proclaim the legitimacy of his power over Thay, but no longer considered any direct military action against the rebels. Today Thay is considered by Mulhorand to be one of its own provinces, but no one outside the empire takes such an assertion seriously. From the beginning, the new nation had prospered, helped by a slavery policy and an incredible fertility of its lands. Despite an expensive military defeat in 934, when the Red Wizards attempted to annex Rashemen, the Thayenne economy quickly recovered. In less than a century, however, the power of the Red Wizards grew to such proportions that it became very difficult for them to run the country properly. The important decisions dragged on endless discussions, each Wizard wishing to impose his will. Thay soon saw a civil war. Finally, feeling that the conflicts would not be an effective way to bring back a semblance of order, the Wizards decided to appoint eight representatives, one for each school of magic. These representatives, called Zulkirs, will be responsible for choosing themselves the leaders of each province Thayenne, or Tharch. The Tharchions and Tharchionnes were endowed with absolute powers over their domain, but were instructed never to disobey the orders and policy of the Zulkirs, who can dismiss them at will. Some dissident Red Wizards opposed this new system and joined forces to try to take Thay for themselves. But even by combining their forces, each Wizard was working on his own, determined to be appointed Supreme Zulkir at the end of the battle. In 1074, the dissidents lost the battle. The punishment for the surviving rebels was horrible and terribly long; In fact, many of them now serve as undead minions serving the descendants of the Red Wizards they wanted to overthrow. Despite the new order established, the conflicts between Red Wizards were not stifled. Each Zulkir sought to extend his dominion over Thay by appointing Tharchions to their cause. Plot and conflict were soon the watchword of the Zulkirs' politics. Even the Tharchions took advantage of the windfall by plotting against the Zulkirs. Thay (or at least the imperialist Red Sorcerers faction) has long dreamed of a vast empire encompassing all of East Faerune. Through the centuries, Thay fomented several invasions against their neighbors, starting in 934 with the first invasion attempt of Rashemen. This attempt was thwarted by the powerful magic of the Rashemen witches, a group of mysterious magicians who rival power with the Red Wizards, and the fighting spirit of the legendary Rashemen warriors. The Thayans constantly tried to foment new invasions, elaborating plans of a rare complexity or attaching themselves to the help of unstable creatures like the Tanar'ri or the drow, or by attempting to corrupt and murder the highs. dignitaries from neighboring provinces. Numbers of armies of undead were raised to set out again to conquer the border states. Cataclysms provoked like tornadoes or earthquakes, also tried to bend their enemies to weaken them. Most of the plans of the Red Wizards were at the base, perfectly viable, but the spirit of competition and domination of the Sorcerers between them thwarted these attempts. This typical pattern of invasion was that organized against Aglarond, which began in 1201. This attack consisted of a plan that joined forces with the Zulkirs of the invocation Narvonna Kren (founder of the Kren Dynasty), Zulkir of the Nymor Illusion Thrul, and Szass Tam Zulkir of necromancy (and commanding a vast army of undead, and lich himself). The plan was a diversion by Tam's zombies that would attack the Aglarondian guard lines, while Kren's legions would infiltrate the Yuir Woods to attack the Aglarondian forces behind. However, this forced alliance between the Red Wizards has, from the beginning, generated a number of problems. Thrul and Tam, respectively the two highest members of two opposing schools, hated each other cordially. Narvonna Kren, newcomer to the Zulkir circle, preferred to remain neutral in the internal plots involving her two allies. Like all Thayan invasion attempts, everything seemed to be going well. The Gray Nuns' troops (see later Project Aglarond) collided, as expected, with the troops of diversion, while the bulk of the army, protected by the spells of illusion of Nymor Thrull, crossed incognito the woods of Yuir , ready to hit the opposing lines. But as Tam's troops occupied the Aglarondian soldiers along their line of guard, Thrul's army of orcs, goblins, and human mercenaries began to loot and destroy all the villages they encountered. on their way, thus disobeying the orders issued by Tam. Discovered, the Thayen soldiers soon had to face Aglarondiens reinforcements, warned by the villagers. Because of the indiscipline of Nymor Thrull's troops, the effect of surprise had indeed aborted. In advance, the Gray Nuns made their forces to the Yuir Woods to help the troops already there. Without being able to consult or reorient their invading forces that would have allowed Tam to strengthen the position of the soldiers in the woods of Yuir, the Thayen troops had to retreat before the Aglarondiens soldiers, thus depriving the three conspirators of an announced victory. At the retreat, Szass Tam accused Thrull's troops of incompetence and cowardice. Thrull, meanwhile, was quick to claim that Tam was the only one responsible for the defeat. The two rivals clashed openly in a magical duel. But Tam was the most powerful of the two and he eliminated his opponent with a Suffocation spell. However, Tam could not restore the balance between the forces and had to give up conducting further the invasion. He had to withdraw, leaving Kren's soldiers unprotected. Meanwhile, the Gray Nuns dispatched new troops into the Yuir Woods to reinforce their defenses. Along the guard lines, Tam's living dead were exterminated by Aglarondian reinforcements, while Kren's troops were definitely repulsed from the Yuir Woods. Among the Red Wizards was the chaos between those supporting Tam and those in Thrull. Tam decided to go back to her estate, completely disgusted. Narvonna Kren, the only one of the three conspirators to return with her reputation intact, despite the resounding fiasco, was able to pursue her ambitious plans and expand her influence among the Red Wizards. Invasion patterns of this type are numerous in Thay's story. Many plans of crazy complexity were defeated because of the chaotic nature of the Red Wizards. Only the waves of invasions of the last ten years were able to have some success, although limited. In 1357, Hargrid Tenslayer, Tarchion of Lapendrar, combined his forces with the Zulkirs of evocation and conspiracy, and imagined the most ambitious plan of attack in all of Thayenne history. Although Kossuth, a tyrant of fire elementals, was venerated through Thay, the triumvirate chose to bypass his authority and contacted extra-planetary creatures including Fyzzar, lord of salamanders and Marrake, Sultan of Efreets, to offer them an alliance. The Thayans made a massive attack on the coastal cities of Thasselen, Murbant, Escalant, Taskaunt, Lasdur, and Tilbrand. The conspirators then asked the fire elementals for help, promising them to create a permanent dimensional portal between the fire plans and the primary material plane. Salamanders and Efreets, on the other hand, would have substantial areas in the newly conquered lands. Cupid, and wanting to increase their power in order to be seen by Kossuth, the elementals of fire accepted the alliance and the battle could begin. The operations proceeded wonderfully, the main targets of the attackers being swept by the combined troops of Thayans, elementals, salamanders and Efreets. But this time, things did not turn out badly because of Thayan ambitions, but by those of their allies. While the main objectives were met, the main coastal cities in the hands of the Thayan forces, the salamanders and the Efrets demanded their due immediately. It was obvious that the Thayans had never thought for a second of respecting their word to their allies. Their goal was not to offer a permanent gate, or even land, but simply to ban their allied invocations, once the attack was completed. Thus forced to a premature action, the Zulkirs decided to banish their allies without waiting. They succeeded partially, banishing the Efreets, but could not dismiss the salamanders who, furious, were unleashed against the Priador. In the face of the imminent disaster, the conspirators had to turn to the Zulkir congeners to ask for help. Szass Tam, who became the most powerful of all, recalled several elements of his legions of living dead (engaged in an offensive against Rashemen) and sent them to help the triumvirate's troops. The Battle of the Priador (since then called The Salamander War) lasted almost a year, pitting the terrible salamanders against the human and Gnoll triumvirate troops, aided by the living dead of Szass Tam. The war (which saw the death of Hargrid Tenslayer) ended when Kossuth sent his own elementals at the request of the new strong man of the Red Wizards, Aznar Thrull. This resulted in increasing the dominance of Kossuth's worship in Thay. Following this battle, the Thayan forces were forced to leave Lasdur and Taskaunt but managed to maintain their dominance over all other coastal cities conquered. These cities were reorganized to form a new Tharch, the Priador, now including the ancient Tharch of Bezantur. After a brief succession dispute, Aznar Thrul became the new Tharchion of the Priador after defeating Mari Agneh, Tharchionne of Bezantur. Thay had just enough time to lick his wounds, following the battle of the Salamanders, when a threat from the east did not come down: The Tuigans hordes, led by the powerful and arrogant Yamun Khahan. The Tuigans sent a reconnaissance expedition to Thayen territory. The expedition was routed by the magic of the Red Wizards, but the troops of General Tuigan Batu Min Ho were not easy prey and gave the defenders a hard time. On the 15th of Uktar 1359, Batu Min Ho, at the head of 4,000 Tuigans warriors, fought Thay forces in the Shar Gorge, several kilometers north of Pyarados. After a first wave of assault that saw the Red Wizards' victory, the Tuigans managed to force the enemy lines and take over, slaughtering thousands of Gnolls and exterminating the famous Griffon Legion. Seeing the fate of Thay more and more uncertain, Szass Tam decided to intervene. Seeing in them formidable fighters and potential allies, Tam convinced the Tuigans that the outcome of the war was uncertain, offered them a truce and proposed to join forces with those of the Red Wizards to invade Rashemen. Vigilant, the Tuigans agreed and walked on Rashemen. Then began one of the bloodiest battles in Rashemi history. The Tuigans faced the Rashemi warriors during the Battle of Ashane. Gray witches lent magical assistance to their troubled troops and tipped the scales in favor of the formidable berserks. Yamun Kahan and his army suffered a heavy defeat during the Battle of the Golden Road and only the assistance of the Thay mages prevented the Tuigans from being completely exterminated. Yamun Kahan and what was left of his troops fell back to Ashanath, protected by the magic of the Red Wizards. The years following the war with the Tuigans, were the scene of intense power struggles between the Red Wizards, some factions wishing to extend the influence of Thay to the west and others advocating to calm the game and put back to a later date the next attempt to invade a neighboring kingdom. Outside observers realized that after centuries of internal conflict, Thay was on the eve of a complete collapse. But several events contradicted these forecasts. Thay was not dead yet, though strange rumors about a new conflict within Thay's borders, but completely different from those usually opposed by the Red Wizards, seemed to corroborate the observers' suspicions. After centuries of waiting and plotting, Liche Szass Tam decided to unify Thay under his sole authority. The exact means used to achieve this are as uncertain as its chances of success. But Tam seems certain that it will trigger the biggest conflict Thay has ever seen since the establishment of the Zulkirs, a conflict that will lead Thay either to ruin or the most formidable period of expansion and prosperity that the nation has ever had. known. Thayans believe that the gods send luck to the strong and resolute, not to the gentle and compassionate. Notes *Handout Category:Locations in East Faerûn Category:Nation states Category:Magocracies